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TOM MULLEN
OH 1096
New Deal in Montana/ Fort Peck Dam Oral History Project
Montana Historical Society
TAPE I - SIDE A
0 to 5 minutes
Born in North Dakota, moved to Montana in 1917, on farm. Worked on bridge crew, woods
work, farming. Depression years. Cut brush when Fort Peck Dam construction begun.
Then worked in warehouse. Unloaded cars at Glasgow, then when railroad established in
Fort Peck, worked at warehouse there. Then changed and got job as a rigger helper, more
pay. Got 80 cents an hour. Continued with this job until dam finished. Then moved to
discharge end of tunnel, tells what did as rigger helper there.
6 to 10 minutes
Describes building of tunnels. Work with concrete. Pipe sections had to be put together.
Gives dimensions of pipe, sizes of sections. Set up pipe sections, leveled them, bolted
together. Fill crew, riveters, took out bolts and riveted together. Inspectors checked them.
" Three out of ten rivets" were loose. How inspector marked rivets that were too loose.
Describes rivets. Thicknesses of steel, hard to tighten. Riveters proud of work. Everything
was inspected. Leveling was done " within thousands of an inch." Security of jobs,
competition, men had to do job right or were fired. Always more men ready to take the job.
" Men were plentiful." Some just drove truck. Had to be lucky to get good job.
11 to 15 minutes
Men were " let go" if couldn't do the job. Job preference. His crew was mostly out of state,
no riggers from around locality. Men he worked with were from Louisiana, Oregon and
Washington. Where others came from. Describes what riggers did. " Picked everything
up." Worked with machinery. Tells what did on night shift. Grinder work. Derrick boat
was new to Tom. Describes derrick boat. Land boosters described, worked on sand by side
of fill. Harder work. Safety regulations good. Very few injured. " Small stuff."
Remembers when a few men went swimming at night and one of them drowned.
16 to 20 minutes
Describes search for and retrieval of dead man. Banks of river were sharp, many people
would go swimming, wash off " the dirt and grime." Got married and moved to Glasgow the
spring following the fall he started. Had farm, when sold it, made money. Describes shifts
worked, changes.

Interviewed by Rick Duncan on 30 Jul. 1987 in Fort Peck, Mont., as part of the repository's New Deal in Montana/Fort Peck Dam Oral History Project.; Topics include his work in tunnels and on pipelines; his job on a derrick boat; the slide disaster of 1938; working conditions; and recreation.; Resident of the Fort Peck area during the construction of Fort Peck Dam in the late 1930s.

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TOM MULLEN
OH 1096
New Deal in Montana/ Fort Peck Dam Oral History Project
Montana Historical Society
TAPE I - SIDE A
0 to 5 minutes
Born in North Dakota, moved to Montana in 1917, on farm. Worked on bridge crew, woods
work, farming. Depression years. Cut brush when Fort Peck Dam construction begun.
Then worked in warehouse. Unloaded cars at Glasgow, then when railroad established in
Fort Peck, worked at warehouse there. Then changed and got job as a rigger helper, more
pay. Got 80 cents an hour. Continued with this job until dam finished. Then moved to
discharge end of tunnel, tells what did as rigger helper there.
6 to 10 minutes
Describes building of tunnels. Work with concrete. Pipe sections had to be put together.
Gives dimensions of pipe, sizes of sections. Set up pipe sections, leveled them, bolted
together. Fill crew, riveters, took out bolts and riveted together. Inspectors checked them.
" Three out of ten rivets" were loose. How inspector marked rivets that were too loose.
Describes rivets. Thicknesses of steel, hard to tighten. Riveters proud of work. Everything
was inspected. Leveling was done " within thousands of an inch." Security of jobs,
competition, men had to do job right or were fired. Always more men ready to take the job.
" Men were plentiful." Some just drove truck. Had to be lucky to get good job.
11 to 15 minutes
Men were " let go" if couldn't do the job. Job preference. His crew was mostly out of state,
no riggers from around locality. Men he worked with were from Louisiana, Oregon and
Washington. Where others came from. Describes what riggers did. " Picked everything
up." Worked with machinery. Tells what did on night shift. Grinder work. Derrick boat
was new to Tom. Describes derrick boat. Land boosters described, worked on sand by side
of fill. Harder work. Safety regulations good. Very few injured. " Small stuff."
Remembers when a few men went swimming at night and one of them drowned.
16 to 20 minutes
Describes search for and retrieval of dead man. Banks of river were sharp, many people
would go swimming, wash off " the dirt and grime." Got married and moved to Glasgow the
spring following the fall he started. Had farm, when sold it, made money. Describes shifts
worked, changes.